Elton John Comments On Marijuana Legalization
Elton John, a man who has seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between, isn’t holding back when it comes to his thoughts on marijuana legalization. Fresh off being named Time magazine’s Icon of the Year, the legendary rock star opened up about his struggles with addiction, sobriety, and why, in his view, legalizing marijuana in the U.S. and Canada was “one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”
For John, this isn’t just another opinion—it’s lived experience. Cocaine and alcohol nearly derailed him at the peak of his career, back in the 1970s when hits like Bennie and the Jets and Candle in the Wind dominated the charts. Addiction, as he bluntly puts it, led him to make “terrible decisions,” including destructive relationships that left others hurt. “You don’t think normally when you’re stoned,” John said, a sharp rebuke to the increasingly casual attitudes toward marijuana today.
His songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin, remembered those dark years vividly. “I was terrified for him. It was absolutely horrible,” Taupin told Time, reflecting on how their creative partnership suffered when John was at his lowest. For Taupin, the magic only returned once John found sobriety and reclaimed his life.
It was 1990 when Elton John finally turned things around, walking away from drugs and alcohol for good. Today, 34 years later, he proudly celebrates his sobriety, sharing milestones with his fans. In a touching July post, he displayed his Alcoholics Anonymous chip with the caption: “34 years clean and sober. My life has never been better.”
John’s thoughts on marijuana are rooted in his belief that addiction isn’t selective. For him, marijuana is a gateway to harder substances and a haze that clouds judgment. And while he paused when the topic turned to alcohol—prompting his husband, David Furnish, to step in—it’s clear John’s stance comes from a deep place of self-awareness. Sobriety has given him clarity, perspective, and, perhaps most importantly, a second act he never thought he’d get.
Through it all, John says he feels guided—though not by the traditional “biblical God.” Instead, he describes a “higher power” that has been quietly steering him through addiction, depression, loneliness, and ultimately to sobriety. It’s a belief born not of doctrine but of gratitude, a reflection of just how far he’s come.
Now a devoted father to two sons, Zachary and Elijah, John is determined to shield them from the pressures that come with fame. “I’ve lived an incredible life, but it’s been a hell of a life, and it’s been a slog,” he admitted. For all his success, he doesn’t romanticize the journey.
If anything, his reflections in this Time interview underscore a man who has fought his demons and come out the other side with purpose. He’s no longer driven by the chaos that once defined him. Instead, he’s focused on his family, his sobriety, and his love of music—not as something he creates, but as something that gives him life. “Listening to music has kept me going,” he said, even adding that if forced to choose, he’d give up playing music altogether rather than lose the ability to listen to it.
And when it comes to legacy? For Elton John, the music will always be a part of it, but that’s not what he’s chasing. He wants to be remembered for kindness, for trying to change the world just a little bit. “And then, apart from that, there was the music.”